Blood And Shadows
by pearlzandlace012
Summary: When Rin Tohsaka, Emiya Shirou, Magnus Bane, and Alec Lightwood all come into contact during the Fifth Holy Grail War, there's sure to be conflict. Of course, is it all part of Rin's plan?
1. Chapter 1

"Today's such a nice day," Emiya Shirou said to himself, strolling through a nearby park after school. Although no one was around, he felt perfectly safe and comfortable as the brilliant sun shone down on him. He sat down on a bench and contemplated the War he'd gotten himself into - the Holy Grail War. The war where seven Masters and seven Servants fight to the death until only one Master and Servant remain to obtain the Holy Grail. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when a figure stood in front of him.

"Emiya Shirou," Rin Tohsaka started, "I've gone from exasperated to pissed. Walking around without your Servant is like holding up a sign that reads, 'Please kill me!'"

"But we're in a public place," Emiya protested. "It's not like anyone's going to attack here, where other people are around."

"Look around you," Rin said. "Do you see anyone else around?"

Emiya looked to his left and then to his right, expecting to see _someone_ around, even though he'd noticed only seconds before that he was alone. "Well, no..."

"Sorry, Shirou, but my policy is never to let an opportunity go to waste," Rin said, conjuring a Gandr shot. She aimed it at Emiya and quickly fired.

Emiya jumped over the bench, ducking behind it. "What are you trying to do, kill me?!" he cried. "You could really hurt someone with those things!"

"Well, if you don't like pain, stand still and I'll make it a quick and painless death," Rin told him, creating another Gandr shot. Emiya got up and ran, ducking beneath tree branches and hiding behind tree trunks.

"Are you angry?" he asked. "You sound mad."

"I'm getting worked up because my target won't stand still!" was Rin's reply. She fired another Gandr shot, this one narrowly missing Emiya. Emiya gasped and ran to hide behind a bigger tree.

~0~

"Why did you drag me out again?" Magnus Bane asked Alec Lightwood. "I was supposed to summon a demon today."

"You can do that when we get back. Besides, it's so nice out. You really should get some fresh air every once in a while," Alec replied.

"Alec, I've been alive for centuries. I know what fresh air feels like."

"Well, then you should-what's going on over there?" The pair started approaching Rin and Emiya, and Alec saw Rin create a Gandr shot to fire as she chased after her target. "I've got to stop them!" Alec pulled out a broadsword and chased after Rin.

Rin, focused on killing Emiya, did not notice when Alec snuck up behind her, his sword coming closer to her throat. It was at that moment that Magnus chose to freeze Rin in time.

Emiya panted, out of breath from running away from Rin's Gandr shots. "It's over," he whispered to himself.

That was when Archer materialised, appearing in front of Alec and Magnus with two swords in his hands. "What do you think you're doing to my Master?" he demanded, turning to Alec.

"I'm a Shadowhunter. It's my job to protect mundanes," Alec replied. "Your 'Master' was trying to kill an innocent kid."

"Emiya Shirou?" Archer asked. "He's not an innocent kid, he's a Mage. Granted, a terrible one, but still a Mage. Anyway, that doesn't matter. Now that you've seen me, I have to kill you."

Archer lunged towards Alec, swinging one of the swords downwards, directly towards Alec's heart. Alec quickly deflected the attack and went on the offensive towards Archer. The two fought, swords clashing, for almost half an hour. Archer had just landed a fatal to Alec's torso when Magnus called out, "Stop!"

Alec collapsed to the ground and Archer froze for a minute, turning to Magnus. "What?" he demanded.

"We misunderstood the situation. We didn't know they were two Mages fighting. If I unfreeze the girl, can this all be over?"

Archer's swords disappeared. "You two seem to be more than mere humans. Unfreeze Rin."

Magnus slowly nodded and unfroze Rin, who had a pissed expression on her face. "What the hell was that?" she asked.

"Now I'm going to kill the both of you," Archer said slowly.

"Archer, wait. Obviously they have magic. Maybe we could make an alliance with them and Shirou."

"Alliance?" Magnus asked.

"Here's the deal. You keep us safe, and Archer won't kill you. He's already landed a fatal blow towards your partner there. He won't hesitate to do it to you." Rin turned to Emiya. "And, Shirou, you know, I've changed my mind. I say we call a ceasefire, at least until we can defeat another Servant."

Magnus had stopped listening, focusing all his attention on healing Alec. Finally Alec took another breath and Magnus cried out, "Oh, thank God."

Emiya looked at Rin in surprise. "I - I agree. But why the sudden change of heart?"

"I'm a fickle thinker. Do you have a problem with that?" Rin asked, her voice surprisingly firm.

"N-no," Emiya said. "So we call a ceasefire."

"Yes. But only until we defeat another Servant. Don't forget, I'm still your enemy," Rin said. Then she turned to Alec and Magnus. "You two, do we have a deal?"

"I would say no, but I'm honestly quite intrigued by the two of you," Magnus said. "You'd be wonderful to observe. What are your names?"

"Rin Tohsaka," Rin said coldly. "And this incompetent fool here is Emiya Shirou."

"Well, Rin Tohsaka, you may stay at our apartment for the time being," Magnus said, to Alec's surprise. "Do you need a place to stay too, Emiya?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I've got my own place," Emiya said.

"Very well," Magnus said. "Rin, let's take you back to the apartment and get your room set up. We have a spare one."

Rin smiled. Everything was going according to plan.


	2. Chapter 2

After setting up her room at Magnus and Alec's apartment, Rin went out to walk, thoughts of her next move on her mind. She'd certainly given Emiya mixed messages - trying to kill him one minute, and then calling a ceasefire the next. That was alright, though; the more confused she could make people, the less chance they'd have of figuring out her strategy. Although admittedly, even _she_ didn't know her strategy.

Whilst thinking, Rin passed a small dog near an open manhole. She wouldn't have noticed it at all if it weren't for a tall, blonde-haired boy who kicked the animal into the hole. Rin was jolted out of her thoughts at this sight. Even she wasn't cruel enough to do that.

"What are you staring at?" the man asked. "Have my good looks blinded you?"

Rin glared. "Arrogance isn't attractive," she muttered.

He'd heard her. "Really? Because the look on your face says otherwise."

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes and trying to walk past him.

He caught her by the arm. "You look interesting. I can see it in your eyes. There's something...different about you."

"The only thing different about me is that if you don't let me go, I will _end_ you," Rin snapped.

The man laughed. "I'd like to see you try. I'm always up for a good party trick." He smirked at her. "What's your name?"

Rin sighed, then realised if she humoured him, he might leave her alone. "Rin."

"What a unique name," he said. She looked at him impatiently and he continued. "I'm Sebastian."

"I don't know why my name matters to you," Rin said.

"Because you're fascinating. You're the only one who stands up to me. It's annoying, but fascinating," Sebastian said, giving her a curious look.

"I think you have an over-abundance of arrogance, _Sebastian,_ " Rin replied. She turned her head and walked past him, and this time he didn't try to stop her.

As she walked away, Rin couldn't help but think of him. He was arrogant. And annoying. And persistent. And...if she disliked him so much, why was he the only picture in her head?

~0~

Clary Fray stared at her blank paper. Normally she was full of ideas of what to draw, but all she could think of was Jace. And no matter how many times she tried, she could never get the sketch just right. Jace was...unique. He was on an unattainable level of perfection.

Simon knocked on her door, and Clary jumped. "Who is it?" she asked, hating the tentative tone in her voice.

"It's me. Simon," he replied.

Clary breathed out and went to unlock her door. "Hey. What's up?"

"I just...I wanted to talk. I feel like we never just talk anymore."

"What?" Clary asked. "Simon, we see each other everyday. We talk everyday."

"I know, but I meant we don't _talk."_

"Okay. What's bothering you?"

Simon sighed. "It's Isabelle. And Maia. Neither of them know about the other, and I don't know what to say. I don't know who to choose. I know I can't have both, but I just..."

"I'm not exactly the best at relationships either," Clary said carefully. "I mean, with Jace as my brother..."

For the first time in a while, Simon smiled. "I guess neither of us know what to do."

~0~

"What were you thinking? You shouldn't have gone out there alone," Saber said, lecturing her Master.

Emiya looked down. "I didn't think Rin would be there. And I definitely didn't think she'd try to kill me." He held his rapier awkwardly in one hand as he positioned himself to attack.

"Sometimes you have to expect the unexpected." Saber made a move towards Emiya, whose eyes widened as he darted away. "Well, it wasn't graceful. But you averted the blow, so that's something."

Emiya thrust his rapier out, trying to hit Saber's weak spot. "I know," he said, taking a breath as she deflected his sword. Quickly, she distracted and disarmed him.

"Don't get distracted," Saber said. "Focus on the fight. Don't lose track of your surroundings, but beware that the person you're dueling may be trying to get your attention so they can go in for the kill."

He sighed and picked up his sword. "I'm really not good at this," he said.

"It's alright." Saber smiled at him. She really was pretty when she smiled, he thought, immediately chastising himself afterward. It wouldn't do to fall in love with his Servant. She would just be gone as easily as she appeared.

"Rin wants an alliance. For now. I just don't know if I should trust her," Emiya admitted. "How do you trust someone whose mood changes so quickly? Who one minute wants to kill you, and the other wants to save your life?"

Saber shook her head. "I'm no good with relationships," she said. "I've never fallen in love. I've never even had a friend. My advice? Get to know Rin better. Figure out what she wants, what she needs. You can make your decision from there."

"Thanks," Emiya said, a slight smile creeping across his face.

"You're welcome. Now, again."

They took their stances, and Emiya attempted to push thoughts of Rin and Saber out of his mind. All he should focus on was winning - that was the important thing. If in battle, he thought about anything other than going in for the kill, he'd be dead.

That was his weakness.

~0~

Three weeks later, Emiya, Saber, Archer, and Rin held a meeting. It was all too pointless, Rin thought, but if she played to her strengths, she could take them all down. She just had to wait for the right moment, and she definitely had to turn on the charm after her huge mistake a few weeks ago.

The school was run down, and all the children joked that it was haunted. It certainly wouldn't be Rin's first choice, but Archer had reasoned that no one would come and interrupt them. This was vital, as if any innocent humans saw either Archer or Saber, the Servants would be obligated to kill them. And Rin didn't feel like watching anyone die.

At least for tonight.

Emiya looked nervous, Rin noticed. He was shifting uncomfortably, and she tried to hold back a grin as she realised he was afraid of _her._ They hadn't seen each other since Rin had tried to kill him, and although he had Saber with him, she knew he would rather be as far away from her as he could.

"So..." Rin began. "What is the point of all this?"

"It's to strategize," Saber explained. "As much as you and Emiya like to believe, we can't just leap into battle."

"I do not believe that," Emiya protested.

All three of them looked at him. "Really," Rin said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Annoyance flashed across Emiya's face for just a second.

Saber glanced at them. "That doesn't matter," she said. "Right now, we have to-"

She never got to finish her sentence, as a long chain with a dagger on it whipped past her and stuck into the wall. Emiya let out a gasp of surprise, and Rin inhaled sharply. What Servant would fight with a weapon like that?

Then a pink-haired girl appeared in front of them, and Rin instantly knew. _Rider. Of course._

Archer's duel swords appeared in his hands as he got ready to attack. Saber drew her invisible sword, using her Excalibur Noble Phantasm. Both looked alarmed, but tried to keep their composure.

Rider would usually be no match for Archer or Saber, but this time, she had the advantage. Saber and Archer were close-combat fighters, whereas Rider attacked from a distance, and she had the fastest speed of any Servant.

Rin conjured a Gandr shot and aimed it at Rider, but she'd momentarily forgotten how fast the Servant was. She sped out of the way just in time, and the Gandr shot wound up hitting the wall, causing a mild explosion. Emiya, who had been only a few feet away, was blasted back by the explosion.

Saber ran over to him. "Are you alright?!" she cried, concern written on her face

"I'm fine," Emiya said weakly. "Just go. Focus on the fight, not on me."

"You don't have enough mana to heal yourself," Rin told him.

"It's alright. We'll deal with that later. Just please. Win." With that, Emiya's eyes closed.

Saber looked up and saw Rider watching them. Whereas she could have easily taken them out during their conversation, she stood at the far end of the room looking quite confident.

 _Arrogance,_ Rin thought. _She could have killed us already, but she didn't want to have an easy victory. She wants us to die fighting._

With a sudden burst of anger, Rin conjured a Gandr shot as quickly as she could and released it at Rider, but was once again unsuccessful. Rider moved away from the wall, using her Nameless Dagger to whiz past Rin's ear.

A warning. A warning of what she could do.

When Rider turned on Saber, Archer slowly crept behind her, thrusting one of his swords toward her back.

Still too slow. Rider zoomed away while frustration spread across Archer's face. Saber made a weak attempt to stab her, but Rider was just _too fast._

Saber approached her, using her Noble Phantasm to appear unarmed. Rider allowed her to get closer until Saber stood only a few feet away.

"I'm not stupid," Rider drawled. "I know a Servant like you would never be this close to the enemy unarmed."

Saber smiled mirthlessly. "You know me well," she said. As Rider smirked, she drew her sword and swung it, aiming it at her heart.

But Rider had seen her move coming, and darted out of the way just in time. Saber's blade drew a thin wound against Rider's left arm, but that was all the damage done. She threw her Nameless Dagger at Rin, who gasped and ducked as it stuck into the floor.

Rider drew the Dagger back in, and it was only now that Rin saw what she had done. Rider had positioned herself in the perfect spot, a spot where she'd be able to take out any one of them. She stood a few feet away from the far wall, and Rin's frustration grew.

 _Why would Rider attack so suddenly? Why hadn't she used her chance to take them out? And why was fighting her so difficult?_

The problem with Rider-class Servants was that every war, they were different. Rin hadn't seen Rider before now, and she wished she had prepared herself for a Servant whose primary attack was long-distance.

Rin took a deep breath and took a moment to think. There had to be some way to outsmart her...and there was. A plan formed in her mind, and she looked at Archer who nodded. He'd had the same idea. Then she looked at Saber, who seemed to have her own plan.

Now the only thing to see was if this would work.

~0~

Sebastian Morgenstern had conflicted feelings. On one hand, he agreed with what his father was saying, that the Nephilim were corrupt and needed to change. On the other, he wanted something very different. Valentine wanted the Nephilim to change what they believed in, and eradicate all Downworlders. Sebastian, however, wanted to erase all Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike.

Valentine looked at him. "Are you listening, Jonathan?"

"Yes, Father," Sebastian replied stoically.

Valentine seemed as if he were about to say something, but decided against it. "Very well," he said. "As I was saying, you need to get close to Clarissa and her...band of loyal followers. Of course, if you were really listening, you'd know this, but-"

"What do I have to do?"

"Sebastian Verlac," Valentine said. "You have to pretend to be him. You have to really embody who he is; how he speaks, dresses, his attitude, everything-"

"Will I have to dye my hair?" Sebastian asked.

"You really _weren't_ listening," Valentine answered, rolling his eyes. "Yes, you have to dye your hair. Sebastian Verlac has black hair, and clearly, yours is blonde. You just have to get close to Clarissa. Get her to trust you. That's it."

Sebastian bit his lip and looked away. It really was a beautiful night, with the full moon shining down on the lake they sat by, but something about this beauty disturbed him. He wanted to burn down the world. That way, he would never be jealous again because there would be no one to be jealous of. He'd never feel abandoned again because there would be no one to abandon him. And this way, he would be the only one to enjoy the beauty of the planet.

Well, as beautiful as a planet burned to ashes could be.

Valentine's voice jolted Sebastian out of his thoughts. "Understood?" he demanded.

Without actually listening, Sebastian replied numbly, "Understood."

And just like that, he was dismissed. Sebastian stood up and began walking, not really sure where he was going. He passed an old, run-down school building, one that he would normally never have given a second glance, but this time, there were shouts coming from inside. Intrigued, he walked up to the door and tried the handle. It was unlocked.

Following the noises, Sebastian made his way up to the third floor, where a heavy metal door was closed. He knew this was the room, as the shouts grew louder the closer he got to the door. He grit his teeth and opened it.

What he saw surprised him. A girl with long, pink hair and a blindfold on held a metal chain with a dagger on the end. On the other side of the room, another girl with blonde hair and a man holding two swords stood, locking eyes. A young boy was sprawled on the floor near what looked to be the remains of an explosion, and...

He recognized her. What was her name again? Oh, yes, Rin. What did she have to do with all this?

Rin looked over as she heard the door open, and gasped as she saw Sebastian standing there. She wasn't the only one, as the remaining people in the room also looked over. Archer and Saber looked confused whereas Rin was pissed. Of all the possible times to interrupt, he was picking now?

Rider smirked and sent her Nameless Dagger flying towards him. Sebastian, not expecting the sudden attack, moved just in time. Frustration spread across Rider's face, and it was Sebastian's turn to grin.

"What are you doing?" Rin hissed at him. "You aren't supposed to be here!" Then she turned to Archer. "You said no one would find us here!"

Archer looked at her. "I think we have bigger problems at the moment," he said, his voice surprisingly calm.

Rin let out a breath, and tried to focus on the plan she had come up with, but with the interruption of Sebastian, it was now in shambles. Her plan depended on the element of surprise, and that was over now.

Rider sent her Nameless Dagger threw the air towards where Saber was hovering over Emiya. Rin's eyes widened as Saber didn't even look up.

"Saber, look-!"

Rin fired a Gandr shot at Rider's chain, causing it to stop mid-air. Rider looked angry for a second, and pulled her Dagger back in.

Sebastian pulled a knife out of his pocket and threw it at Rider who easily side-stepped the blade. "Oh, so that's how you want to play it," he said softly.

There was nothing left to do. Saber was by Emiya's side, and Archer was looking for the perfect time to attack. Sebastian had no idea what he was getting himself into, and Rin's plan was destroyed. She looked away for a second, trying to focus.

And that was when Rider's Nameless Dagger came flying towards her.


	3. Chapter 3

Rin jerked her head up in surprise, but stood frozen as the Dagger sped towards her. Archer shoved her out of the way and ducked just as Rider's chain struck the floor behind them. Rider made an irritated hissing noise and was suddenly keenly focused on something a slight bit behind Archer.

Rin looked at Rider in confusion for a second, then turned her head to see what she was staring at. Wrong move. Rider smirked and quickly pinned Rin against the wall, her right arm holding Rin there while she glanced at the others. With one hand, she threw Archer backwards using her Nameless Dagger, checked to make sure Saber was still caring for Emiya, and barely noticed Sebastian but made sure to see what he was doing anyway.

"This is how it ends," Rider said, cruelty lining her voice. She pressed the Dagger against Rin's throat, and-

It stopped. Rider paused for a moment and looked away. Then she shrugged and said, "You're lucky this time, Rin Tohsaka. Next time, you won't be so", and dematerialised.

Rin took a deep breath and stepped away from the wall. "What the hell was that?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"An unexpected attack from an unexpected enemy," Archer said. "It could've happened anytime, really."

"But why?" Rin asked. "Why would Rider show up at this time, attack us, almost kill me only to let me go? What's the point of that?"

"We don't know," Archer said. "There must be a reason. We just have to figure it out."

Rin shook her head and walked over to where Emiya lay with Saber crouching over him. "Is he alright?" she asked.

"He should be," Saber told her. "He doesn't have enough mana to heal quickly, but in a few days he should be fine. We might still be in danger at the moment. That needs to be our top priority."

Sebastian looked at her. "As far as I saw, you did nothing. Why should _you_ get to decide what the top priority is?"

"Why are _you_ here at all?" Archer countered. "You're not involved in this. You should know nothing about this."

"I know you're at war," Sebastian said. "I know you're fighting battles. I know you're not normal teenagers, and I know the people you're fighting aren't, either. And believe me..." He paused. "You definitely want me as an ally instead of an enemy."

Rin turned to him. "You want to stay out of this," she said. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "And if I want to?"

"Then that's your problem."

A smirk spread across his face. "I think I'm done here. See you around. Or not. Whatever." And with that, Sebastian vanished.

Emiya slowly sat up. "Did he just...dematerialise?"

Saber looked at Rin curiously. "He's not a Servant. And he's not a Mage. He just has some demon blood in him that allows him to vanish."

"Demon blood?" Rin asked. "That doesn't even exist."

"Oh, it does," Archer joined in.

Emiya's eyes widened. "It does?"

Saber sighed. "Yes," she said. "But it's very complicated."

"Why haven't we heard any of this before?" Rin demanded.

Saber bit her lip. "Alright," she confessed, "Archer and I didn't want you to know this because you already have so much to worry about. But now that you've been introduced to someone like Sebastian, you're going to have to know about this world." She sighed again. "There's a race of people with angel blood in them called Shadowhunters. The Nephilim. They hunt and kill demons."

Rin looked at Saber in confusion.

"And vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, and faeries are real," she continued. "Those are called Downworlders. Then you have the 'normal' people, the mundanes."

"Why didn't we know anything about this?" Emiya asked.

"Because you're not part of their world," Saber said. "You may have magic, yes, but you aren't exactly Downworlders or Shadowhunters. You don't follow the rules of the Clave, which is the Shadowhunter council, or any of the clans of the Downworlders."

"How do you know all this?" Rin asked. "Do they know about us? You? Anything?"

"We've been alive for so long, you can't help but find it out," Archer told them. "And I don't believe most of them know about the War. It's not like I know every Shadowhunter or Downworlder that knows about us, but I can guarantee at least a few do."

Sebastian reappeared as he leaned against the wall and smirked. "You really do have secrets."

Everyone turned to look at him, and finally Saber spoke.

"But you're Sebastian Morgenstern," she said. "You already knew all this."

Archer looked at her. "I didn't know you knew him."

"I don't know him personally," Saber said. "But I know of him. You have, too. Jonathan, remember?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You know my real name."

"Of course I do." Saber smiled slightly. "And you know mine. Don't pretend like you don't."

Sebastian smiled back at her, though this one was much more menacing. "Saber."

~0~

Caster turned to Assassin, a slow grin creeping across her face. "This war is practically won," she said. Then she sighed. "What a pity. This is almost all too easy. Of course, I shouldn't say this now. We haven't technically won anything yet, but there's nothing that can stop us now."

Assassin grinned back at her. "And the Holy Grail will be ours."

"Now. What's been going on? I've been stuck in this Temple all this time, and if things have changed, I will need to adjust my plans."

"Apparently Rin Tohsaka, Emiya Shirou, Saber, and Archer all met at this old school," Assassin started.

"Which school?"

"It's near the forest...run down...small class sizes..."

Caster rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that paints such great pictures in my head. Whatever. Go on."

"And they were attacked by a Servant."

A look of surprise and confusion flashed across her face. "Really now?" she asked. "Who?"

"It was most likely Rider," Assassin said. "But what's odd is that she had Rin at her mercy, and she let her go. She dematerialised when she could've won."

"That's...strange," Caster said slowly. "It must be intentional. There must be a plan."

"What is our next course of action?" Assassin asked.

"Saber's the strongest threat, the strongest Servant-class," she said. "But her Master is weak. Emiya Shirou is a pathetic excuse for a Mage, but is the luckiest match for Saber. If Saber had a powerful Master, she would be nearly unstoppable, but with Emiya..."

She paused. "Saber and Archer, as well as their masters, have teamed up together. The others seem to be on their own."

"Do we know where they are?"

"Rider's Master is Shinji Matou, I believe. Berserker's is Illyasviel, the daughter of Emiya Kiritsugu. And Lancer, well..." She stopped. "He's still a mystery. His Master is unknown, at least for now."

"I would suggest we figure out what's up with Lancer before we make any bold moves," Assassin suggested.

"Of course," Caster said. "But our ultimate goal should be to turn them against each other. Illysaviel is powerful, and she has a powerful Servant. She'd be a great addition, but we'd have to be careful with her."

"Perhaps we could just go after Emiya?" Assassin said. "From what I've heard, he's weak and not very good at magic. He doesn't produce enough mana for Saber to materialise or dematerialise, or to replenish hers."

Caster smiled. "That is reasonable," she said, "but I want to make Saber pay."

~0~

Isabelle Lightwood walked up to the Institute, her seven-inch heels clattering all the way. She turned the knob, allowing herself in, as only Shadowhunters could do. For once, the lights were off, plunging her into almost complete darkness.

"Jace?" she asked as her eyes grew accustomed to the dark. "Clary? Alec?"

 _Oh, God,_ she thought as she took a few unsteady steps into the Institute, _please tell me they haven't left for Idris already._ She'd had business to attend to, and so had been late arriving. Still, she hoped they would've waited for her. "Is anyone there?"

Then she heard a soft noise behind her, and she whipped around. A small girl with white-blonde hair stood there, an innocent expression on her face.

Isabelle took a step back. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Illyasviel," the girl said softly.

"How can you see this?" Isabelle gestured to the building behind her. To mundanes, it should have looked like an old abandoned church, and that was it.

Illyasviel smiled slightly. "I'm surprised that Shadowhunters are so in shock that people other than themselves can see through their glamours." She paused. "But I'm not a mundane."

"If you aren't a mundane, and you aren't a Shadowhunter, what are you? A Downworlder?"

"I'm a mage," Illyasviel said.

"A mage?"

"Someone who practices magic."

"I _know_ that. I've just never seen much of a difference between a mage and a warlock." Isabelle folded her arms.

Illyasviel smiled again. "Then clearly you've never met a mage."

"Whatever," Isabelle said, rolling her eyes. "There's no one here. Don't tell me you were behind it."

"Of course not," Illysaviel said. "I'm just here to talk to...Isabelle. Isabelle Lightwood, I believe."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh?" she said. "Why?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I'm Isabelle," she replied.

"Really?" Illyasviel asked. "Prove it."

Isabelle rolled her eyes again and pointed to her shoes. "Heels. If you know anything about me, you know I always wear no less than seven inches."

Illyasviel glanced at Isabelle's feet. "I have heard that," she said.

"So? What do you want?"

"I want your help."

~0~

It was a little past eight in the evening, and Magnus was alone. After sending Jace, Clary, Alec, and Madeleine through the portal to Alicante, he'd felt somewhat lonely without his Shadowhunter companion. Rin hadn't been home, and he was starting to feel distant.

He opened the door of his apartment, and walked down the stairs and outside. To distract himself, he'd started thinking of the odd occurrence the other day. Rin had surely been using some type of magic, that much was obvious. But she didn't seem like a warlock, and in all his centuries of living, he'd never encountered something like what had happened at the park.

He'd figured the person, if you could call them that, that had materialised after he'd frozen Rin, was someone with demon blood in them. That had to explain why he was even faster than Alec, a Shadowhunter, and why he could appear and disappear on cue. But why would a person as powerful as that listen to a small, teenage girl, regardless of whether or not she had magic?

Magnus wandered around, not particularly knowing where he was going. Finally, he found himself at an old library, the only one in town that stayed open at this late.

He walked inside, casually looking at the books on the racks. There were only a few that were new, and he continued walking until he had reached the back with a section on folklore and fantasy.

Intrigued, Magnus picked up a book with a picture of seven...well, what looked like humans. But there was something different about them. He didn't know why, but he was compelled to take the book to a table and start reading.

He opened the first page, and saw the headline: _The Holy Grail War._


	4. Chapter 4

Isabelle looked at Illyasviel in surprise. "What?" she asked.

"I want your help," Illyasviel repeated.

"No, I know that," Isabelle said. "But...why? And for what? And how do you know who I am and how do you know I could help you?"

Illyasviel looked down. "I've been watching you," she said quietly.

" _Watching_ me?" Isabelle said incredulously. "For how long?!"

"A few weeks."

"A few _weeks? What?"_

"I just...I need you to help me. Let me explain."

Isabelle exhaled. "You have five minutes," she said.

"I only learned about the Nephilim a few weeks ago," Illyasviel started. "I knew if I could get a Shadowhunter on my side I'd have an advantage. So I looked for one. And I found you."

"An advantage on your side?"

Illyasviel dodged the question. "You look unassuming," she said. "I thought if I had you, we could perform a sneak attack. I've watched your brother and your friends, Alec, Jace, and Clary. Jace is too arrogant and bold. Clary's too inexperienced. Alec didn't seem like he'd be able to help me. And then there's you."

"Should I be offended that you only 'chose' me as a process of elimination?" Isabelle asked. "Or should I be concerned that you seem to want me to help you with some revenge fantasy?"

"It's not a revenge fantasy," Illyasviel said. "It's a life or death situation."

"So what else is new," Isabelle muttered. "Okay. What's the situation?"

"There's this thing," Illyasviel said, hesitating. When Isabelle gave her an impatient look, she sighed and continued, "this thing called The Holy Grail War."

"The _Holy Grail War_?" Isabelle said, fighting back a laugh. "What is this - some fairytale?"

"You'd think that as someone who fights demons and associates with Downworlders you'd be a little less...mundane, as you call them."

Isabelle glared at her.

"I'm sorry," Illyasviel said, noticing Isabelle's expression. "The Holy Grail War is a fight to the death. Seven mages are chosen to summon a Heroic Spirit, called a Servant. You don't get to choose which one you get."

"And what do I have to do with any of this?"

Illyasviel ignored her question and went on. "Each mage becomes a Master of their Servant. Then the Servants fight each other until only one Master-Servant pair remains. The last ones standing gain control of the Holy Grail, which grants them any wish they want."

"That's really weird," Isabelle said. "You haven't answered me, though. What do _I_ have to do with any of this?"

"You heard me before," Illyasviel said. "If I had a Shadowhunter on my side, I'd have an advantage."

"An advantage against the other Masters and Servants?"

"Exactly." Illyasviel smiled. "You'd be like my secret weapon."

"Well, sorry," Isabelle said. "I'm not interested in playing bait for a girl I've just met and being thrown into a bloodbath."

Illyasviel's expression darkened. "If you won't help me willingly..."

"Then what?"

"You won't live to see tomorrow."

~0~

The silence in the room was deafening, as the five stared at each other. Rin wasn't quite sure where to look and so focused her vision on a small, black speck on the wall. Then she looked down at Emiya who looked about as surprised as she felt.

Then Sebastian laughed. "You all look so surprised," he said.

Annoyance suddenly settled over Rin. "Well, sorry that I didn't know some psychopath knew anything about our Servants," she said.

Sebastian gestured towards Archer. "If he's your Servant, I know nothing about him," he said. "I only know of Saber."

"And why is that?" Emiya asked quietly. "How-how do you know about her?"

"Oh, we go way back," Sebastian said. "Ten years ago-"

"Stop," Saber said quietly. "They don't need to know."

"Maybe not, but I'd quite enjoy watching all of your reactions if they did."

"Would you just tell us what's going on here?" Rin asked, impatience lining her voice.

Saber slowly walked over to Sebastian. "We need to talk. Privately."

Sebastian smirked. "Two minutes. Say something to change my mind, or they all find out the truth."

Rin watched as the two walked to a small corner in the room, speaking in voices so low that not even she could figure out what they were saying. Sebastian laughed at something Saber had said, and Saber glared at him. What looked like banter went back and forth until finally Sebastian rolled his eyes and started walking away.

As Saber returned, Rin looked at her. "Well?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Saber said. "It's not important."

"I think it's plenty important," Rin said. "You're involving yourself with someone who's not another Servant or a mage. Isn't the protocol that you kill anyone who isn't involved in the War?"

Emiya tried to stand up and winced. "You can tell us," he said. "It's not like we'd judge you."

"I can't," Saber said firmly.

"You can't or you won't?" Rin asked.

Saber bit her lip. "Forget it. Please."

"Fine. Whatever," Rin said, rolling her eyes. "But if this comes back to haunt us later, I blame you."

"I think it's time we get out of here," Archer said, speaking for the first time.

"Couldn't agree more." Rin started walking away.

Saber helped Emiya up and let him lean on her for support as Archer dematerialised and Rin was out of sight.

~0~

Magnus flipped through the pages, his eyes skimming the pages as quickly as they would allow. There were seven Servants that answered to a Master. There were four Holy Grail wars to date, and a fifth one was...well, it never said.

He then moved on to the descriptions of the Servants. Although Magnus knew this was just fantasy, something nagged at him, something telling him this was important.

There was Berserker, a Servant that prided itself on strength. This Servant used brute force, and had multiple lives, so killing it once wouldn't kill it altogether.

There was Assassin, a Servant who, in the Fourth War, had up to eighty different copies of itself. In the fifth, Assassin was a...false Servant, if one could say that.

There was Caster, a Servant who used magic as their main opposing force. This Servant was somewhat weak in battle, and who depended on their magic.

There was Lancer, a Servant who used two spears, a red and gold one. He fought mostly in close combat.

There was Rider, a Servant who changed every War, but in the most recent one, she was a girl who depended on her speed and used a dagger.

And then there were two left. Saber, who was considered the strongest class of Servants, and who used an invisible sword. She had incredible speed, strength, and stamina, causing her to be the most feared Servant.

And...Archer. A Servant who used duel swords to fight close combat. A Servant who could use the term "Unlimited Blade Works" to create a Reality Marble.

Magnus looked at his picture more closely, surprise overtaking his features. He'd _seen_ him before, that day in the park. The day he'd frozen Rin and a man had materialised in front of them. A man in red with two swords, using inhuman strength, using precision different from anything mankind had seen...a man who had almost killed a Shadowhunter.

There was only one thing to determine.

The Holy Grail War was _real._ And they were all in danger.

~0~

It was always said that the Idris, the home of Shadowhunters, was only accessible to the Nephilim. This, however, turned out not to be true, as Gilgamesh materialised in Alicante. He smirked as he looked around. Idris really was a beautiful place...too bad it wouldn't last.

Gilgamesh did not intend to burn Idris to the ground out of spite. He really only wanted to send a message, send a message to the Nephilim that he was a force to be reckoned with.

But what he really wanted to was to send a message to his old enemies.

After his experiences with Saber and Sebastian ten years ago, Gilgamesh had been looking for a chance to get revenge. He'd spent years trying to figure out how...and his mind kept wandering back to here. How burning Idris would get back at them was unknown, but he knew it would work.

He just had to stay under the radar, get to know the natives, and form a cohesive plan.

It couldn't be that hard.

A red-haired girl approached, out of breath and wheezing. She was small and quite beautiful, he had to admit, but in a simple way, much like Saber to his dismay, and she looked in pain.

"Are you alright?" he said, feigning compassion as he walked over to her.

The girl looked up. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said - or tried to say as she burst into a fit of coughing.

"You don't sound fine," Gilgamesh said, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I can help you. If you let me. I...I've never been here before."

"You're a Shadowhunter?" the girl asked.

"Of course. How else would I be here?"

"Good point." The girl smiled. "I'm Clary." She began coughing again. "Clary Fray."

Gilgamesh smiled back. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Clary Fray."

"Now that you know my name, what is-"

She was cut off as she coughed so hard blood came up and splattered on the pavement. Tears ran down her face as she fell to her knees, blood dotting the ground in front of her.

"That's not important right now," Gilgamesh said, surprised at the sympathy he felt for the girl. "We need to get you help. Now."

Clary looked up at him for a moment and coughed again. "Okay," she croaked.

Gilgamesh held out his hand and Clary took it gratefully, attempting to stand. She let out a few weak coughs, and he put his arm around her to steady her. "Alright?" he asked.

Clary nodded, and the two set off down the road. "I don't know anyone here," she said softly.

"I don't, either," Gilgamesh told her. "But we'll figure it out."

As they kept walking, Gilgamesh tried to calm the swirling thoughts in his brain. In all of the Wars he'd been in, he'd never felt compassion for anyone. He'd used people to get ahead, he'd declared war on his enemies, he'd killed thousands of people...and yet this girl he'd just met was softening him. It was maddening.

Gilgamesh shook his head as if it would clear his thoughts and return him to his old state of coldness, but he couldn't stop looking at the red-haired girl beside him. He told himself this was good, getting people to trust him would help him with his revenge plan, but he knew there was more underneath all of that.

Finally, Clary's knees gave out and she sank to the floor. Gilgamesh looked at her with concern.

"I'm sorry," Clary gasped. "I can't-"

He looked at the house closest to them. It was a small brick house that didn't look particularly friendly or alien, and he knew he had no choice but to knock on the door and ask for assistance. If someone was home, of course.

"It's alright," he said, looking at Clary. "I'll get someone. Wait here."

"As if I could go anywhere else," Clary said.

Gilgamesh smiled. Then he started walking towards the house, walking up the stairs and knocking on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened. A middle-aged female with brown hair and striking blue eyes answered. "Do I know you?" she asked, her tone friendly yet suspicious.

"Uh, no," Gilgamesh said. "But a girl needs help. I don't know..I don't know who she is, but she can't walk."

The female looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "Show her to me."

For a second, he paused, but then said, "Very well." He led the woman down the stairs and motioned to Clary who sat still on the ground, coughing slightly.

Then a man exited the house and ran down the steps. "Clary!" he cried.

Clary looked up at him. "Luke," she managed to get out. "How did-why did you-"

"You know her?" the woman asked, turning to Luke.

"Yes, she's Jocelyn's daughter," Luke said, clearly alarmed. "We have to help her, Amatis."

The woman who now had a name sighed and nodded. "Help me carry her inside," she said to Luke.

Gilgamesh watched as Amatis and Luke picked Clary up and carried her into the house. He tried to follow, but Luke stopped him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I ran into Clary, and I helped her. I brought her here," Gilgamesh responded.

Clary turned her head and looked at him weakly. "He's okay," she barely got out. "Let him in."

Amatis and Luke watched him warily. "Alright," Amatis said. "Come on in."

Gilgamesh felt unreasonably relieved as he entered the house. Clary would be okay.

~0~

"You know what to do, right, Lancer?"

"Murder them all."

"Exactly. And who do we save for last?"

"Rin Tohsaka."


	5. Chapter 5

As Rin made her way back to Magnus and Alec's apartment, she found herself lost in deep thought, replaying what had just happened over and over, like a broken record stuck on repeat. How could Archer have known all this and never told her? How could Saber, who was ridiculously close with Emiya, not tell him, either?

Slowly, her thoughts began drifting away from the confusion, and started forming daydreams of Emiya and Saber. The two of them laughing and talking. Solving problems together. Kissing, even.

She didn't want to think of that. Emiya Shirou was an annoying, incompetent failure of a Mage, but there was something about him...

Rin turned her head as if that could erase the pictures in her mind, her eyes focusing on an old church. She'd never noticed that before, and if she looked closer, she could almost see a ripple through the middle of the image.

She focused harder, and the church slowly faded away, showing a large, elegant building with two girls standing outside. One of them was tall, beautiful, and glamourous with dark hair. The second was petite with white-blonde hair...

It couldn't be.

Taking a deep breath, Rin slowly started up to the stairs to the building. As she approached, the dark-haired girl noticed her and said something to the smaller girl that Rin couldn't make out.

The girl with white hair smiled slightly and turned to face Rin, stepping out of the shadows and into the light. Rin gasped, instantly recognizing her. "Illyasviel."

Illyasviel smirked. "It's been a long time, Rin Tohsaka."

The dark-haired girl stepped in. "You two know each other?" She turned to Rin. "Rin Tohsaka. I've heard about you."

"Really, because I've never heard about you," Rin said, looking at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Isabelle. Lightwood. Alec's sister?"

"Oh."

"Yeah. You're living with him and Magnus, right?"

"Enough with the idle small talk," Illyasviel said. Her soft voice and delicate features really didn't suit her, Rin thought, but that seemed to make her all the more threatening.

"What were you even doing here?" Rin asked, aiming her question at Illyasviel.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I saw you two here. At first I thought I was looking at an old church, but when I looked closer...I saw this." Rin shrugged.

"You saw past the glamour," Isabelle said.

Illyasviel rolled her eyes. "Why does that surprise you? Mages have magic of their own."

Isabelle looked at Rin. "Alec didn't tell me you were a Mage."

"I wonder why."

"We'll finish this conversation later, Isabelle," Illyasviel said softly. "As for you..." She gestured to Rin. "This is over."

Rin paused for a moment, taking in what she had said. Illyasviel quickly conjured her attacking birds, a move that Rin always found odd...but equally lethal. As quickly as Illyasviel had, she conjured a Gandr shot.

Isabelle took a step back. "You aren't going to kill each other right in front of the Institute," she said.

"Why not?" Illyasviel asked. "As far as I know, the Nephilim only needs to protect mundanes. Something that neither Rin or I are."

"I-"

"And it's not like you'd be able to stop us. You don't have magic of your own, right?" Illyasviel continued. "You use a stele to draw runes. You use seraph blades. But we use real magic. We're not demons."

"How did you know so much?" Rin asked, temporarily forgetting Illyasviel was her enemy.

"Berserker told me, of course," Illyasviel said. "I'm surprised Archer never told you." She paused. "Doesn't matter, anyway. Soon you'll be dead."

Rin bit her lip and fired her Gandr shot right at Illyasviel's heart. The white-haired girl laughed and blocked it with one of her flying birds, then sending another one towards her.

Rin ducked out of the way in time, conjuring Gandr shots as quickly as she could. But she soon found herself outmatched; whereas Illyasviel could conjure many birds at once, Rin could only create one Gandr shot at a time.

 _This is the end,_ Rin thought as she gasped for breath, _I'm sorry I failed you, Archer._

Accepting fate, she felt prepared to die, but she wouldn't die not fighting. She conjured one more Gandr shot, shooting it at Illyasviel, who blocked and sent a herd of flying birds Rin's way.

Rin closed her eyes and prepared to die, knowing that in a few seconds it'd all be over.

But the blow never came. She opened her eyes to see Archer materialising in front of her, blocking all the shots. Illyasviel's expression changed from a smirk to an aggravated snarl. "Archer," she said. "Of course."

"You think I'd let my Master die so easily?" Archer said. "You're horribly mistaken."

Illyasviel shrugged. "All the more fun for me then."

And she conjured more birds.

~0~

Gilgamesh paced back and forth in an empty room inside the woman Amatis's house. He couldn't seem to control his swirling thoughts, images of Clary dying in his head, of defeating the other Servants, of Kotomine Kirei as his Master.

He hadn't seen Kirei at all in the last ten years, but he knew he was still alive. A Mage and Master is skilled as Kotomine was wouldn't die that easily.

But was Emiya Kiritsugu dead?

He knew that Kiritsugu had rescued Emiya Shirou from the ruined land come from destroying the Grail. Could Kirei and Emiya have summoned more Servants? No, it wouldn't be. As of now, Gilgamesh had no Master. If either of them could summon another Servant, one of them would have gotten him.

Luke poked his head into the room. "I, uh, I never got to thank you."

Gilgamesh looked up. "For what?"

"For saving her. Clary, I mean."

"Oh. Oh. Yeah, that was no problem."

"I'm Luke. And you are...?"

Gilgamesh paused. It wouldn't be smart to give out his real name; he'd have to come up with a believable alias.

"Stefan," he finally said. "Stefan...Lakewood."

Luke nodded. "Clary's awake now, if you want to see her."

"Alright," Gilgamesh said. He exited the room and walked into a bedroom where the red-haired girl lay on a queen-sized bed, her eyes slightly open as she breathed heavily.

Things were going perfectly. All he needed to do was keep up the act, and get the Shadowhunters of Idris to trust him. No one would suspect he wasn't actually Nephilim, as they all believed that only those with angel's blood could get to Alicante.

And they weren't wrong. It was just so that Gilgamesh was fortunate enough to have had a bit of angel blood pumped into him.

It really wasn't hard to pretend to be a good person, he had found, his thoughts drifting back to Clary. Maybe...maybe...

Clary shifted a bit and tried to sit up, her eyes focusing on Gilgamesh. "You..." she began. "I remember..."

Gilgamesh thought of his plans and feigned a smile.

"What's your name?" she finally croaked out.

"Stefan Lakewood," he replied, the name rolling off his tongue.

Clary coughed. "Nice to...meet you..." Her voice trailed off at the end, and her eyes closed.

Amatis looked at him. "I think-"

He knew what she was going to say. "I think I should go," he said, cutting her off before she could finish. Amatis simply nodded, and he showed himself out, closing the door gently behind him.

As he continued walking, he saw a tall man with jet black hair pass him. At first, he took no notice, but there was something about the man's stance...the way he carried himself...

Gilgamesh stopped and looked closer at the man's retreating form. It looked like...but his hair colour...

The man sensed Gilgamesh's pause and turned to face him. Gilgamesh instantly recognized him, his eyes and facial structure still the same despite his different coloured hair.

Sebastian Morgenstern.

Sebastian smirked and addressed him, "Gilgamesh. It's been a while."

"Sebastian Morgenstern," he said in return. "You've dyed your hair."

"It was necessary. Necessary to get what I want. But you'd know a lot about that - doing what you have to to get what you want, wouldn't you, King of Heroes?"

"Of-"

"I mean, you were obsessed with Saber for years," Sebastian continued. "You were loyal to Kotomine Kirei who would have disposed of you just to see your pain and suffering. And after all that, he left you. Saber never loved you - she despised you. How are you doing now, Gilgamesh?"

Gilgamesh's jaw hardened and he glared at his opponent. "You really don't have much room to talk, Sebastian," he spat. "I've seen the way your father looks at you. He sees you as a tool, a hardened assassin he's trained to kill. Your mother left you, the way you say Kirei left me. Only, for you, it was because you were a mistake. A failure. And the way you pine after your sister. What's her name again?"

"Clary?" Sebastian said. "I will teach her how to love me."

This startled Gilgamesh. _Clary? The girl he'd saved?_

"Oh," Sebastian said. "I take it you've met her? Obviously not using your real name, as that would be stupid, even for you. Tell me, Gilgamesh, what did you go by?"

"I'm afraid you'll never find out." Gilgamesh looked around him, figuring out they were alone, but still not wanting to take a chance. "How would you like to settle this, Jonathan, here and now?"

It was Sebastian's turn to look surprised, not expecting Gilgamesh to use his real name. "Right here?"

"There's a clearing through the woods," Gilgamesh said, his voice surprisingly calm. "Isolated. Where no one can find us. No one will hear the screams, or the cries of battle. It's the perfect spot."

Sebastian smirked. "You're on."

~0~

Magnus grabbed the book and ran out of the library, barely pausing to whisper a faint apology as he nearly ran over a dark-haired girl. He suppressed a groan of frustration when he remembered he'd sent the Shadowhunters, not including Isabelle, to Idris. He'd have to go after them and tell them what was going on. That they were in danger, and what they needed to do to stop it.

As he walked quickly down the street, a blonde-haired girl hurried past him. At first, Magnus paid no attention, but as she grew closer to him, he seemed to recognize her. Checking where he'd placed his bookmark, he looked at the page, and instantly spotted the girl in the book.

The King of Knights. The Saber-class Servant, known as Artoria Pendragon.

As she passed him, Magnus stopped her. "Wait."

Saber looked slightly startled but turned to face him. "Yes?"

Magnus now wasn't sure what to say. "Who are you?" he asked carefully.

Her expression turned to one of confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Magnus," he said.

Saber's expression changed again, this time with a look of recognition. "Magnus," she repeated. "Yes, I've heard about you. What do you want?"

"I know about the War," Magnus said. "I know we're in danger. And I need you to tell me everything you can so I can keep Alec and the others safe."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because I don't want anyone to get hurt as much as you do. I know for you, it's impossible. But don't you want to minimalise the casualties if you can?"

Saber sighed. "Alright," she said. "But this can't take long."

~0~

Lancer wielded his spears, the long, red one in his left hand and the shorter, gold one in his right, walking out of the church. He knew what he had to do, and although he may have hated his Master, he had an abundance of Command Seals.

He materialised in a spot near the run-down school that had been attacked weeks ago. Something felt wrong. He pressed his hand to the window, and discovered what had happened.

Someone had put on a Bounded Field.

Logically, Lancer knew it would have had to be Rider, Archer, or Saber, but seeing as Archer and Saber were on the same side, the only explanation was it had to be Rider. Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him, and he whipped around.

Just as he'd expected. Rider.


	6. Chapter 6

Sebastian took a deep breath as he materialised in the clearing in the woods. Why was he so nervous? He'd never lost a fight in his life, not to any of the Downworlders, and certainly not to the Shadowhunters. But he'd never physically faced an enemy as skilled as Gilgamesh. A Heroic Spirit, anchored to this world as a superhuman Servant.

But Gilgamesh had no Master, at least not currently. So how was he able to stay?

He looked around him, surprised that Gilgamesh hadn't appeared. He turned slowly, running possibilities through his head. Could he be planning a sneak attack? No, Gilgamesh didn't fight dirty like that. He was confident in his own abilities, and faced his enemies head-on.

"You look so confused."

Sebastian whipped around at Gilgamesh's confident voice, the Servant materialising behind him in his gold armour.

"And you look like someone who's about to die," Sebastian shot back, instantly composing himself.

Gilgamesh smirked. "So arrogant," he said slowly. "It'll make killing you all the more satisfying."

"Go on then."

Conjuring ten swords, five on either side of him, Gilgamesh turned to Sebastian. "You sure you don't want to surrender now?"

Sebastian laughed darkly. "You wish."

"Alright then," Gilgamesh said. With a flick of his wrist, the swords shot at Sebastian, two headed for his heart, one for his head, and the other seven for various limbs.

Sebastian vanished before the swords could hit him, and reappeared behind Gilgamesh. The Servant was obviously using his Noble Phantasm, being able to create as many swords as necessary to kill his target.

Turning to the side, Sebastian quickly aimed his dagger for Gilgamesh's side, hoping to catch him off guard.

But Gilgamesh was too fast, and instantly shot down Sebastian's dagger with a sword of his own. He laughed. It was great to have power, especially when it came to Sebastian Morgenstern, the enemy of all Nephilim.

Sebastian bit his lip as he faced Gilgamesh once more. If only he could put him on the defensive. After all, you can't win when you're defending yourself. To win, you have to _attack._

Gilgamesh smirked once more, conjuring ten more swords, shooting them at Sebastian one at a time. Sebastian's eyes raged with fury as he dodged and deflected the swords.

The Servant looked slightly frustrated, as he was not counting on Sebastian being as agile as he was. Of course, he had to remember that the Shadowhunter had demon blood in him, allowing for more strength, speed, and stamina, as well as the ability to vanish and appear.

Sebastian thought about his alliance with the Fair Folk. But this was the home of the Shadowhunters, somewhere that his allies would not be able to enter. He sighed in frustration as Gilgamesh conjured more swords.

Sebastian vanished and reappeared again after the swords had evaporated. He had to get on the offensive; he knew he'd soon begin to grow tired, even with the enhancements of the demon blood.

Gilgamesh didn't fight dirty. But Sebastian could.

He smirked at Gilgamesh, feigning confidence. All he needed was one good blow to win. Gilgamesh smirked back at him, and Sebastian put his right hand behind his back, pulling out five daggers and threw them towards his opponent as quickly as he could.

Gilgamesh looked slightly surprised, and dematerialised instead of dodging them.

Sebastian nodded. This was good. As Gilgamesh dematerialised, Sebastian did the same, reappearing behind where Gilgamesh had originally been just a second before him.

As Gilgamesh rematerialised, Sebastian pulled out a seraph blade, shouting _Raziel_ as he lunged towards him. Gilgamesh barely deflected the blade, and moved away.

He could see the anger in Gilgamesh's eyes, and wasn't surprised when he said, "No more playing around. This ends _now,_ you mongrel."

Gilgamesh conjured over a hundred swords, pausing for dramatic effect as he turned them on Sebastian. "Don't expect to survive this," he added.

Sebastian took a deep breath. If he was to win this, he'd have to depend on his ability to vanish and reappear as quickly as he possibly could. He also had to take into account that he'd be injured.

Gilgamesh's swords couldn't kill him, Sebastian knew that, and he attempted to calm himself as Gilgamesh began to release the swords.

Sebastian focused on one sword, one that would hit him before the rest, and took a deep breath as the sword flew towards him. He gasped as the sword struck his chest, Gilgamesh smirking in delight as the sword plunged into Sebastian.

This was it. Sebastian looked Gilgamesh straight in the eye before vanishing and appearing behind him as quickly as possible. He stabbed his opponent with the seraph blade straight through the heart, turning to look at Gilgamesh as he choked and sputtered blood.

Sebastian smirked once more as Gilgamesh slowly pulled out the sword and dematerialised.

Had he killed him? Sebastian wasn't completely sure; a Heroic Spirit as powerful as Gilgamesh might not be taken out that easily.

Then Sebastian realised that Gilgamesh might be playing the same trick that he had. Sebastian took a cursory look around, and vanished. There was a possibility he hadn't killed his opponent, but he'd definitely won this fight.

~0~

"So," Magnus began, sitting down with Saber at a local coffee shop.

"Yes?" Saber said.

"I don't know where to start," he admitted.

Saber shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"How did the Wars start? Who created them? Did they just appear out of nowhere?"

"Three families, the Einzberns, the Tohsakas, and the Matous all used their magic to summon something called 'The Holy Grail'. You know that grants whatever wish you want. However, the families learned that they couldn't all have the Grail, so they battled each other to the death over it. The Grail appears every sixty years and selects seven mages to compete." Saber stopped. "Does that answer your question?"

"Somewhat," Magnus said. "Who's your Master, then?"

"Emiya," Saber said slowly.

"Shirou?"

She nodded.

"To be honest, he's not very good at magic," Magnus said. "And Rin. She comes from the Tohsaka line."

"Yes."

"Okay." Magnus paused. "Okay. Is this going to interfere with the Shadowhunters?"

"You're housing one of the most prominent Masters," Saber said. "Of course it's going to interfere."

"So, what? I ask her to leave?"

"It's more complicated than that." Saber sighed. "Sebastian has seen us. He knows about us."

Magnus looked confused. "Sebastian? Sebastian who?"

"Sebastian Morgenstern, of course," Saber said. She looked at Magnus's confused expression. "You do know of him, don't you?"

"Related to Valentine Morgenstern?" Magnus asked in disbelief.

"Sebastian is Valentine's son," Saber said. "Something tells me you didn't know that."

"I thought Jace was Valentine's son."

"It's complicated."

"How do _you_ know of him?"

"We had...a bit of a tryst ten years ago," Saber continued. "Unfinished business. But it was only coincidence he walked in on a battle."

Magnus shook his head. "What do I have to do to keep Alec and the others safe?"

"Stay out of it," Saber said. "That's it. Try your best to. I know it's hard with Rin and all, but if there's a battle, get yourself and your Nephilim friends out as soon as possible. Don't interfere with any fights. Don't speak to the Servants. I won't attack you if I see you on the street, but if you're in the middle of a battlefield, I don't know what I can do to help you."

"Alright," Magnus said. "Alright."

~0~

Lancer turned to face Rider, spinning his red spear in one hand. "Rider," he addressed her. "I should have known."

Rider smirked as she stood against the wall. "Lancer," she said back.

"May this battle determine who is truly worthy," he said, positioning himself. "May the winner go on to obtain the Holy Grail."

"I accept," she said. And with that, she smiled, almost sweetly, and her Nameless Dagger shot across the room.

Lancer held up his gold spear, the Dagger bouncing off of it. He moved quickly towards her; and being faster than she had imagined, his red spear slashed along her arm. She winced in pain and her Dagger and his spear clanged against one another.

He continued to keep in close proximity to her, knowing that she was a long-range fighter rather than a close-range one. Her Dagger was best used for long distance, and if he stayed close, he would be a much more competent enemy.

As their weapons clashed, Rider pulled back, using her incredible speed to dash across the room and fly her Dagger a bit to the left of Lancer. He paused for a second in confusion, assuming Rider had simply aimed wrong, which was odd considering that was her main weapon.

Rider's Dagger grew close to Lancer's right side where it zoomed at an angle towards him. He realised what she had been doing within a second's moment, and he moved just quickly enough to avoid being struck in the heart by her Dagger. Instead, it hit him in the shoulder, immobilizing his right arm.

Lancer growled in frustration, mulling over his options. Since he could only use one hand now, he'd have to let go of one of his spears. The red one, which repelled mana? Or the gold one, that drew wounds that would not heal?

Finally, he settled on the gold one, dropping the red one and moving the gold to his left hand. Rider smirked at him, but Lancer knew he still had an advantage. He was almost as fast as she was, and if he could disarm her, he could win.

But how to do that?

Lancer drew close to her, slashing at her wrist with his spear. He was glad to see that her right arm had been immobilized the way his had, her wrist bleeding out from the cursed wound.

Rider glared at him, pulling her Dagger back and releasing it. Lancer dashed out of the way in time, the Dagger sticking into the wall behind him. As she pulled her dagger back in, he thrust his spear towards her, her moving just enough to avoid a direct hit.

Lancer wasted no time, instantly moving towards her again, his spear coming closer towards her heart. He grinned as he was mere centimeters away, just to see her use her speed to escape.

"What else have you got, Lancer?" Rider asked, sending her Nameless Dagger flying.

"I-" Lancer blocked her Dagger with his gold spear. "What's your real purpose here, Rider?" He moved out of her range. "Why did you put up a Bounded Field?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rider pulled her Dagger in and threw it out again, this time at a much shorter distance.

"Why would you pick the school that your Master and Rin and Emiya..." Lancer trailed off. "Of course."

"So you've figured it out," Rider said. "I've been drawing the energy of the students here to fuel my own power. Why else would I pick such a place?"

Lancer smirked. "I see I've gotten what I came for," he said. He'd been counting on having to corner her and torture her for information, but this was simply too easy. Rider looked at him in surprise, and he turned away from her. "Until we meet again, Rider."

And with that, he vanished.

~0~

Rin conjured a Gandr shot as Illyasviel laughed, a bird fluttering next to her. The dark-haired girl bit her lip and tried to look for the perfect moment to fire her shot.

"You don't really think you can beat me with _that,_ do you?" Illyasviel taunted.

"Don't forget," Rin said, "I have my Servant with me. Can you say the same?"

Illyasviel laughed again. "I could any time I wanted," she said. "But I don't see the point of wasting his talents on the likes of you."

Rin glanced at Archer who had stepped back, watching the two of them. "Archer?" she asked.

Archer's duel swords appeared in his hand, and he nodded at Rin. She smirked and fired as many Gandr shots as she could while Archer cornered her from behind.

Illyasviel's eyes darkened. "By the power of my Command Seal-"

She was cut off as multiple slimy creatures began to surround them. "What is-what?" Illyasviel asked.

Isabelle looked over in alarm. "Demons," she whispered.

" _Demons?"_ Rin asked. She turned away from Illyasviel and conjured a Gandr shot, firing it at one of the demons.

One of the demon's limbs flew off, only to grow back. "What?"

"Only seraph blades kill them," Isabelle said, drawing a blade and saying, ' _Gabriel!'_

Archer looked at Isabelle, Illyasviel, and then back at Rin. He slashed at one of the demons with his sword, it dying instantly.

Illyasviel looked surprised. "I don't.." she began. Then she sent one of her birds at the demons, her attack being futile.

"Didn't I tell you only seraph blades could kill them?" Isabelle said, her voice rising as she hacked away at the demons.

"But Archer's blade-"

"We can talk about that later!" Isabelle chopped another demon's head off. "Right now we have more pressing situations."

Rin and Illyasviel could only watch as Isabelle and Archer slashed at the demons, the fight seeming to last forever until finally all the demons were gone. It was surprising how the length of fights seem to change when you're not part of them.

Finally Isabelle stopped, putting her seraph blade away and looking at them. "Alright," she said. "Now that that's over, you are _not_ going to kill each other. At least not here. I won't allow it."

"But-"

" _No."_ Isabelle put her hands on her hips. "You want to fight? Do it somewhere else."

"Fine." Rin looked at Illyasviel. "This is for now."

Illyasviel looked back at her. "Until next time, Rin Tohsaka."

~0~

Alec ran up the stairs to Amatis's house, banging on the door.

"Who is it?" Amatis called from inside.

"Alec Lightwood," he replied, his voice a few notes higher than he'd hoped it would be. "Is Clary there?"

The door opened. "She's here," Amatis said.

Alec walked past her and into the room where Clary lay. "Clary. You're alright."

"Yeah, with no thanks to you," Clary said softly.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay." Clary smiled. "I was being sarcastic, anyway."

Luke entered the room. "It seems Clary has a new friend," he said.

Clary blushed. "I don't-I barely even..."

"Stefan Lakewood," Luke continued, smiling as he saw the look on Clary's face.

"Well, it seems Jace has a new friend as well," Alec said, barely noticing when Clary froze.

"Who?" she asked.

"Aline...something," he said. "Oh, and, one more thing."

"...?"

"Simon's been imprisoned."

" _What?"_ Clary sat up straight. "Why didn't you tell me that immediately?!" She winced as a scorching headache caught up to her and she lay back down.

"Relax," Alec said. "We'll free him. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

Saber looked at Magnus impatiently as the warlock paused. She really had to go make sure Emiya was alright; he really couldn't be trusted to be by himself without possibly getting himself killed.

"Is that all?" she asked, getting ready to leave.

"Wait." Magnus put his hand down on the table.

Saber sighed. "What is it?"

For a second, he seemed to look slightly uncomfortable. "Can I trust you not to harm Alec?"

"What?" Saber was caught off guard. "I-I don't even know Alec. Why would I...?"

"Just promise."

"What?" Saber repeated. "Okay. I promise I won't hurt him. Unless he tries to hurt Shirou. That's my condition."

"Good enough." Magnus held out his hand to shake.

For a moment Saber looked confused before realising he wanted her to shake it. She reached her hand out and entangled it with his for a second before pulling away. "Now?"

"Yeah. You can go."

Saber nodded and stood up, pushing her chair in and walking out the door. It was horribly annoying, she thought, to have a Master who couldn't look after himself. He didn't have enough mana to sustain her for long, and she couldn't materialise or dematerialise on cue. If Emiya were truly in danger, he'd have to use a Command Seal to summon her.

As she wandered down the street, she took careful notice of the people she passed. Couples walking by, talking and laughing, and groups of friends who seemed to not have a care in the world.

Oh, how she envied those people. She'd attempted to lead her country and failed. She was doomed to spend eternity acting as a Servant in a fight to the death where she endured pain, suffering, fighting, only for her Master to command her to commit suicide so they could covet the Grail.

But maybe, just maybe, she'd someday be able to use the Grail for herself. And she knew _exactly_ what she would use it for.

She continued walking, but something felt off. Saber knew from past experience if her Master were in danger, there would be a slight...sensation. She'd somehow be able to feel it, but she wasn't sure if that still reigned true with an inexperienced magus like Emiya.

Still, she walked a little faster. She'd check Emiya's house and his usual spots first. If she couldn't find him there, she'd go to Rin and ask her where he'd gone. If Rin didn't know, well...

In what seemed like far too long, Saber arrived at Emiya's house, unlocking the door and walking in to see Rin sitting on the sofa.

"Oh, hey, Saber," Rin said. "Have you seen Shirou?"

Saber froze. If Rin hadn't seen him... "No," she replied, her voice steady. "Have you looked for him?"

"I've been looking for him all over," Rin said. "He's nowhere to be found. I saw him earlier, though. He seemed quite distressed, and he said he was going to...end this. End something."

"What? Why didn't you go with him?"

"I tried!" Rin stood up. "He would have none of it."

Saber looked away. "Alright. Well-"

"We should go see Kirei," Rin interrupted. "He seems to know everything."

 _Kotomine Kirei. The Master of both Assassin and, later, Archer in the Fourth War._

"I don't...I don't know," Saber said. "He-"

"It's better than nothing."

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, it is."

The two continued to the church as Saber tried not to worry. She kept reminding herself that Emiya could use a Command Seal if he really needed her, but what if he was in a position in which he couldn't? No, that wouldn't be possible. It was always an option to use a Command Seal simply through thought.

 _Kirei,_ Saber kept thinking. _He had been a cruel, unfeeling man. He'd stabbed his mentor in the back with his own knife. He had stolen his mentor's servant. How was he still alive? She'd thought Kiritsugu had killed him, but apparently not._

"Saber?" Rin said, noticing the glassy look in her eyes.

Saber shook her head and looked at Rin. "Yes?"

"Just making sure you were alright."

"Yes." Saber nodded.

After what seemed like forever, they'd reached the church as Rin tentatively pushed open the door.

"Kirei?" she called into the darkness.

Saber walked in, closing the door behind her. There seemed to be no one there, and it was dark enough that made it hard to see where they were going. She felt her way up the aisle, and stopped at the front. "Rin, do you-"

"I know my way," Rin said.

Saber nodded and followed her. Rin certainly did seem to know all the ins and outs of the church, opening closet doors and going up mysterious stairs. Saber silently trailed Rin wherever she went, and listened to her groans of frustration as no one was there.

"Well, I've looked everywhere. I don't know-"

Saber's glance drifted away, and she froze. What looked like blood stained the woodwork in a subtle corner.

Rin noticed Saber's tension. "What?"

Saber ignored her, walking towards the stain.

Rin's voice grew higher pitched. " _What?_ "

"Blood," Saber said, pointing to the blood.

"Blood," Rin repeated. She knelt down, pressing her hand to the floor, and shrieked when the floorboards collapsed. Quickly, she pulled away as a trap door opened.

Rin smiled slightly even though she knew Saber couldn't see her. "Jackpot," she said.

The two slowly climbed down the ladder and made their way into the dark basement. Saber continued feeling her way along the wall when a light flicked on, and she looked up.

"Rin. And Saber," a familiar voice said as a brown-haired man stepped into the light.

"Kotomine Kirei," Saber said, instantly recognizing him. "Tell me, how did you survive the last war?"

Kirei simply smirked. "I don't think that should be your most pressing concern at the moment."

At Saber's confused look, Kirei flicked on another light, illuminating the corner that showed Emiya Shirou, covered in blood.

"Shirou!" Saber exclaimed, rushing over towards him. Kirei laughed at her horror.

"How could you, Kirei?" Rin demanded. "I thought-"

"Yes, yes, you thought I was the impartial moderator," Kirei said. "Sorry. You thought wrong."

Emiya looked up at Saber. "You-you-you need to go," he said weakly. "There's-there's things you don't-things you don't know, things you need-"

"Well, then," another voice said from a different corner of the dark room. "Seems like everyone's here."

Saber turned to face the direction the voice was coming from, and gasped as the figure appeared. A handsome, blonde-haired young man stood before her. "Gilgamesh," she said.

"Saber," he replied, walking over to her. She flinched as he ran a hand through her hair. "Finally we reunite."

"How-how did you..?"

"Oh, I just found out myself," Gilgamesh said. "See, I've been anchored to this world for the past ten years, although I didn't know how. I ran into Sebastian when I was in Idris, and yes, that is why I'm slightly wounded. Apparently, Sebastian's fighting has improved. Anyway, it wasn't until now that I fully realised Kirei was still alive. And that-" He paused. "Is why I'm still here."

"Kirei's always been your Master, hasn't he," Rin said, almost to herself.

"Exactly." Gilgamesh smirked.

Saber glared at him.

"Now," Gilgamesh began. "Let's get this battle over with. I'm _dying_ to see how this one ends."

~0~

Clary hurried down the stairs to the prison, barely noticing when two guards stepped out from the shadows.

"Who goes there?" one of them asked in his booming voice.

As Clary tried to continue forward, Jace put his arm out, stopping her. "Sir, we are authorized to enter," he said.

"Really?" the guard asked, his tone indicating he did not believe him. "Prove it then."

Jace fumbled around in his pocket, turning his head to wink at Alec and Clary. It took her a moment to realise what he wanted them to do, but once she had figured it out, she couldn't stop a slight smile from spreading across her face.

The guard sighed, obviously annoyed at the length of time it was taken for Jace to show identification.

"Hmm...I could've sworn it was-"

Alec pulled out a blade and charged towards the guard. The second hurried up to defend his partner, but Alec quickly kicked one of the guards in the chest, and slashed a long wound across the other guard's arm.

"Come on, hurry!" Jace said, the three of them running past the injured guards. "We have to find him before they can call security!"

"Simon?" Clary asked, running up and down the hallways containing the cells. "Simon? Are you in here?"

"Clary?" a weak voice called back. "Clary, is that you?"

"Simon!" Clary exclaimed. "Keep talking! I'll follow your voice!"

"Okay. Uh, A.. B... C..."

Finally Clary found him. "Oh, Simon," she said. "I never should have left you."

"It's alright," Simon said, clearly relieved he was being rescued.

Jace and Alec ran up to the cell. "Thanks for ditching us," Alec said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," Clary said. "I just-"

"We understand," Jace said. "Come on. We have to break him out before we're caught."

As they got started picking the lock, Simon said, "Wait. Can you...can you break out my cellmate, as well?"

"Who is he?" Jace asked.

"I don't know," Simon admitted. "But we've been talking, and he seems like a decent guy, so would you please...?"

Jace sighed. "Fine. Only because Clary would yell at me if I didn't."

"That is - so true," Clary said.

The trio finally unlocked Simon's cell as Simon took a deep breath as he walked out. "Prison really changes a person," he said.

"Yeah," Alec mumbled.

Simon walked over to the next cell and quickly unlocked the door. "You're free," he said.

The man stepped out into the daylight, and they all gasped. "Hodge," Jace said. "You-"

Then an alarm sounded, and the five looked at each other in alarm. "We gotta go," Clary said.

"But Hodge-"

"We have to go," Jace said, repeating Clary.

Alec and Simon nodded as the five fled from the jail, escaping into the daylight and locking the door behind them. "That was close," Alec breathed.

Finding themselves in broad daylight in a grassy meadow, Jace turned to Hodge. "You have some explaining to do," he said.

Hodge sighed. "I know I shouldn't have," he said. "But there is information that could help you."

"Oh, yeah? Such as?"

"The mirror," he said. "The last of the Mortal Instruments. It's Lake Lyn."

"It's _Lake Lyn?!_ But how-?"

"It's a long story, but what happened was-"

Hodge was cut off as a knife was thrust through his back. Clary gasped and looked up, staring into the dark eyes of Sebastian Verlac.

"What did you do that for?!" she shrieked.

"It was for your own protection," Sebastian said smoothly. "He was dangerous, you know that. I did you all a favour."

Clary tried to hide her fear. "I...you..."

"He's a spy," Jace started. "He works for-"

"Where's Isabelle?" a young voice asked, a small boy with dark hair walking up to them.

"Max," Alec said, panic in his voice. "Max, what are you doing here? It's not safe, it's not..."

Max's eyes grew wide, and blood dripped down his cheek. Alec gasped as Sebastian pulled out his knife, coated with blood. "It's a warning," Sebastian said. "If you try to say anything, do anything, I swear, I will kill your parents in front of you, and then I will kill each of you in front of each other. _I will kill you all._ "

She'd been so wrong about Sebastian, Clary thought. He'd seemed like a perfect gentleman - young, handsome, helpful. But, no, he was a sadistic bastard.

"But you are a spy for Valentine, right?" Clary asked. "I..we...we promise we won't say anything, but I just want to know the truth."

Sebastian grinned wickedly. "Oh, I'm more than just a _spy_ for Valentine," he said.

"Then...?"

"I'm Valentine's son."


End file.
